CLIMATE

Japan’s climate varies depending on the area. Typically, it is cooler in the north and more tropical in the south. Japan is divided into 6 main climatic zones:

1. Hokkaido – this is the northern most zone. It has long cold winters, and cool summers. There is not a lot of rain but lots of deep snow in the winter.
2. Sea of Japan – the northwest seasonal wind causes heavy snow falls in the winter. During summer time it is cooler than the Pacific area, but sometimes gets extremely high temperatures caused by the Fohn wind phenomenon.
3. Central Highland – this area has a typical inland climate that gives large temperature differences between summers and winters, and between days and nights. It does not rain a lot here.
4. Seto Inland Sea – the Mountains in this area shelter it from seasonal winds, which bring milder weather throughout the year.
5. The Pacific Ocean – winters are cold with little snowfall and the summers are hot and humid because of the southeast seasonal winds.
6. Ryukyu Islands – this southwestern area has a subtropical climate with warm winters and hot summers. There is a lot of rain during the rainy season and typhoons are common.

Two major influences on Japan’s climate are the location to the Asian continent and the major ocean currents. The main rainy season begins in May and lasts until July and averages 100 – 200 centimeters a year. In the late summers and early fall typhoons coming from the Pacific Ocean cause storms and heavy rainfall.